The United States Society in The Real Generation Gap by Marianne M. Jennings

The United States society is a unique society which consists of a plethora of ethnicities and cultures. This quite unusual entity has become so great by harvesting the power and usefulness that this variety of ideas create. We thrive off of our diversity, and as a whole, our society is continually changing and fitting together this separation into a sort of melting pot. Thus, as our generations progress through time, it is evident that there must also follow an evolution of societal framework, such as the sets of morals and ideals of what is the right path to take.

Why then would Marianne M. Jennings attack this essence of our society in her article “The Real Generation Gap?” She provides well thought out and justified arguments, but neglects to incorporate the good that this progression of our youth and upcoming societal members has, and is currently, creating.

Jennings pointed out the fact that test scores in lowa were diminishing, as well as the inability of college freshmen to pass certain minimal exams.

However, she failed to note the increasing number of students attending high school throughout the years, as well as the increasing number of students wanting and attempting to enter college. Many students don’t perform as well in high school merely because there are so many more students. It isn’t necessarily a shift of higher intellect students towards lower intellect, but may merely be an increase in substandard students attempting schooling. This may not account for the great numbers of lower test scorers; however, even if there is a slight lack of intelligent students, the fact that there is such a vast number of people attempting a high school education, while being substandard, should account for something.

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This is merely an alteration of mindsets, not necessarily a negative change through the generation gap. The same being true for those who decide to attempt to enroll in college. Our society as a whole is moving towards becoming more educated, whether or not that means making some sacrifices in those of higher intellect.

Jennings also points out the lack of historical as well as other general knowledge in the upcoming generations. What she fails to point out is the increase in separate knowledge of our society. Much of the new generations are adapting to changing times, and learning merely dissimilar knowledge. For example, our development in technology, as found through computers, cell phones, pda’s, etc. is being well assimilated into the society and learned by the masses. Many younger adults are capable of using computers to greater extents than even their parents. We may be losing some of the knowledge that previous generations perceived as fundamental, but we are gaining knowledge that our new generations believe to be more useful in the coming ages.

The younger generations that are forming are creating vast gaps from their predecessors, though this may not necessarily be a negative transformation. I invoke upon you that this is merely an evolution upon our society towards what we believe to be more correct. Obviously evolution has its negative aspects at first, but just needs time to fully develop into what it should ideally become. Rather than looking upon the side effects of this change, one should see the positives, and reinforce that which is progressing successfully. It is evident that our society is unique and developed from an idea of change to create an end product that is inevitably ideal. It took much time to create our current society, and it has come about through change after change, and has created many unwanted by products. However, these are all part of our unique evolution as a society.

Our increasing generation gaps should not be chastised and we should definitely not attempt to stop or slow our evolution as a society. These consequences should be fixed, but at the same our evolution should be nourished, and we should recognize the positives as well as the negatives to this change.